ONE NSU MAGAZINE Pyramid, and many others with my mom and grandmothers.” During his days as an elementary school student at NSU University School (USchool), while most of his peers were frolicking on the playground during recess, Ilagan was doing something distinctly unique. “While most other kids were playing on the swing set, I was playing The Price Is Right with my friends, pretending I was the host,” he recalled. “What I loved about game shows was the mix of visuals— Mandel Ilagan has had the opportunity to work on numerous game shows during his career, including Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, and Double Dare. the flashy sets, the theatrics, the hyper contestants—and the ability to play along,” he recalled. “I was always shouting at the TV as I tried to guess the answers. It’s a great genre, because it’s the only one where viewers feel they could be part of what is on TV. You see yourself as the contestant, actually having that chance to win big.” FORMATIVE YEARS During his admittedly idyllic childhood in Cooper City, Florida, Ilagan attended USchool, where he participated in various creative endeavors. “I took a major part in the school’s performing arts programs, including playing piano for the school musicals and chorus and producing and writing for the high school TV sketch comedy show,” he said. Ilagan, who attended USchool from 1st through 12th grade, said the school’s progressive curriculum and robust extracurriculars played a key role in furthering his interest in pursuing a career in the TV field. “The work I did with our school musicals and the video 34
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